Visiting Day
by Lichtblick
Summary: COMPLETE! It's visiting day at the abbey. Who will come and who won't? A Kai – Tala friendshipstory.
1. Default Chapter

**Title: _Visiting Day_**

**Summary:** It's visiting day at the abbey. Who will come and who won't? A Kai – Tala friendship-story. (Part 1 of 3)  
**Setting: **This story takes place in the early days of the abbey. I see Kai being around 8 years old, and Tala somewhere near ten.  
**Rating/Warnings: **light T for some violence  
**Disclaimer: **I really am infringing on someone else copyright, but I mean it in the best possible way.

_**Author's notes: **I feel really insecure about this fic. First of all this is not betaed and everyone, who is reading 'When morning comes at night' knows how important it is for me to have someone to proofread everything I write, but I don't think I would have the courage to post this, if I had to wait any longer._  
_And secondly this story is somehow really important to me, but I'm not sure if anyone else will like it, cause there won't be any slash, romance or descriptive violence, but I promise there will be plot, some drama and even some psychological aspects. So if this doesn't_ _put you of, then please read this fic and leave a comment._

**1. Chapter – The Downs of Visiting Day**

"There you are! What are you doing here?"

Kai was breathing hard. He had searched Tala for a good thirty minutes now. And searching for someone in the big building of the abbey wasn't an easy task.  
Kai brushed away a strand of hair, which seemed to always hang in front of his eyes when he wanted to look around like he did now. He couldn't remember being in this part of the abbey before, which wasn't really surprising, because early in the two months he had stayed here he had learned that wandering around was forbidden and would be consequently punished. Kai never forget that rule!

He turned his eyes back to Tala, who still hadn't moved away from his place on the big stony windowsill. The red-haired boy had been missing since morning. Normally missing only a few minutes was already reason enough for Boris to send out a search-party, but luckily for the boys today was visiting day. The day where all parents came to examine how well their children were doing, and also the day where Boris always tried to make a good impression. And he knew having guards running around everywhere didn't make a good impression.

"Hey Tala, what are you looking at?" Kai went over to the slightly taller boy and carefully prodded his leg.

"Just come up here and look for yourself if you want to know." Came the monotonous reply. Sometimes Kai didn't know why he liked the other boy. Perhaps it was, because he adored how the older teen got along here. Tala never seemed to get into any trouble, yet he lived by his own rules. And of course no one else had tried to befriend since he was sent here two months ago.

Kai reached his hands out to push himself up on the sill, only then realizing how high it was. Putting a bit pressure on his left wrist, he happily acknowledged, that his wrist didn't hurt anymore, after he had sprained it three weeks ago at training. Next he jumped a bit, pushing himself up, while moving his feet underneath his body on the windowsill.

Tala pressed his index-finger against the dirty window. "See?"

The half-Japanese boy looked out. From where they sat, they had a good view on the front gate. In the front yard people disported. Most of them were parents saying goodbye to their children, but there were also some men. The kids living here knew this male mostly as guards, but today they acted as the abbey's educationalists, confirming the worried mothers that their sons were in good care.

"What's so special about it? It's almost seven, the adults have to leave."

Tala shoved over a folded piece of paper. "Read this." He instructed.

Kai carefully smoothed the crumpled paper. It obviously was a letter. Tala felt the smaller boy's nervous eyes on him.

"What's up?"

Kai looked down at his hands, muttering something barely audible. "I can't read this."

That got Tala's attention. He gasped. "You can't read?"

"No, no, no! I can read, but I don't know this letters."

"They're kyrillic. How comes you can speak russian without accent, but not read it?" Tala was curious now, much to Kai's dismay. He felt embarassed and even more inferior than usual towards the older boy.

"I went to school in Japan, so that's how I write and I learned Romance writing in English class. My grandfather taught me how to speak Russian, but not how to write."

"Stupid! You live in a country, where you can't even read a menu."

"Yeah, well it's not like they have menus in here." Kai countered.

Instead of giving another remark Tala started laughing. Kai smiled slightly, he had rarely anyone in the abbey heard or seen who laughed and especially his older roommate seemed to be somewhat stoic.

"Okay, I'll tell you what stands in it." Tala grabbed the letter back and folded it carefully. "It's from my mother. She promises me, that she'll come. She even saved money for it."

"So?" That got Kai interested. In the last eight weeks, the two boys had shared a room, Tala had never mentioned his family at all.

Tala shrugged sadly. "She isn't here yet and they will close the gates soon."

"Perhaps she forgot, that it was today?" That earned Kai a death glare.

"She's not stupid like you are."

"Hey, I'm not..." The black haired boy was just about to argue, when the red-haired one stopped him.

Tala put his hands up. "It's okay, don't start. Didn't you say something like, that we need to return?" Kai nodded eagerly, he wanted to get back, before Boris found out, that they had been gone the whole afternoon.

The two boys wandered in the endless corridors of the abbey, apart of their worry not too excited to return in a rush to their room.

Kai quietly observed his friend. Tala hadn't said anything at all since they had left the windowsill. The red-haired boy had never before talked about his mother, and Kai had always imagined, that the family didn't seem to be of much importance to his mate, but now he started to wonder.  
It seemed to really drag Tala down, that his mother apparently hadn't held her promise. It almost was like he wanted her to visit.

"What if she comes to late?"

Tala had been deep in thought. When he heard the smaller boy talking, he looked up in confusion. "Who?"

"Now who is the stupid one?" Kai ducked a firm swat from his companion. "Your mother of course. What if she comes too late?"

"Simple, they won't let her in."

"Oh." Kai understood what it must feel like to wait for your mother and she doesn't come. "Perhaps she'll be here next time."

Tala was about to respond, when he heard a door open. The two friends had returned to the main corridors. Right now, they were walking through the floors on which the rooms of the older boys were located.  
Normally the younger boys made a detour, just to avoid meeting them.

It was a principle in the abbey, that everyone showed their power. The guards and Boris did it everyday by keeping the boys in line, and the older boys transferred their methods by suppressing the younger boys.  
Tala was well-known in the abbey, he got the younger boys to shut up by just glaring at them, he was able to order most boys of the same age around and even some of the older ones respected him.

Kai on the other hand was in a more difficult position. Just here was a few months he had already been able to put some fear in the few boys younger than him by following Tala's instructions (sometimes it was good having the red-head as a roommate).  
But Kai immediately caught the eye of the older boys. The guards knew, that he was Voltaires grandson, and as the powerful man had much influence in the abbey's politics, the left Kai alone most of the time.  
Of course as soon as the others realized this, the jealousy got the better of them and they had found themselves a new favorite victim.

So the creaking of the door and the voices, that were becoming louder and clearer were a bad sign. Tala pushed Kai urgently forward.  
"We better hurry up."

Kai didn't really react, but kept his pace. Sometimes Tala couldn't understand his younger friend. Didn't Kai understand, that this situation could get dangerous if they were found?  
Of course the red-haired boy somehow liked to look out for his younger roommate. It gave him a good feeling to sometimes do something, that normal people would consider good.  
On the other hand in the abbey, there weren't normal people and forming an alliance with the enemy had made him the new enemy to the older boys too.

"They are coming Kai! Now come on and hurry up!" Kai finally seemed to react and started to speed up. Tala gave a sigh of relieve, he really wasn't in the mood for a brawl, he was far more interested in where his mother was right now.

Kai nearly ran now. He hated it to run away, it made him feel like a coward, but these boys never left him a chance. So better to run away now unhurt, than to have to answer Boris later what happened when he and Tala would return bruised and battered.

Just as the two friends wanted to turn around the corner, they heard the doors open behind them. The roommates slowed again, they wouldn't give their tormentors give the satisfaction of seeing them running away.

"Well look whose got lost. Kai, the guards best buddy and our former lackey Tala. If you are searching for the kids playroom, then you're wrong here." Snickers followed this statement.

Tala took a heavy breath and then turned around slowly, signaling Kai to do the same. Around seven meters away stood three boys. Jakov and two of his goons.

"Are you here for trouble?" Jakov asked bluntly while advancing slowly towards them, followed on every step by his two shadows.

"No, we don't want to fight. We were just passing through.", Kai answered politely, not noticing Tala's groan.

"Oh, you don't want to fight.", Jakov mocked them, "Then perhaps you should start running."

He hadn't even finished the sentence, before starting to launch in Kai's direction, the other two decided to go for Tala.

Tala braced himself, balling his fists he aimed for the first thing, that dared to come into his reach, which happened to be one gorilla's nose. The satisfaction he felt over seeing blood starting to run from his target was only short-lived, because the fist, that connected with his eye immediately brought him to the ground. And with that he was unprotected to the older boy's merciless kicks and fists.

Kai wasn't doing any better. He stood passively as Jakov jumped onto him, bringing them both on the floor.

With both of them on the ground there was nothing more they could do besides hoping for it to be over soon.

> > > > >

Tala pushed Kai in the small bathroom, which was attached to their tiny bedchamber. The smaller boy stumbled in and was barely able to get a hold on sink, preventing to fall flat on the hard floor. Kai leaned heavily on the porcelain utensil. He gathered all his power left and risked a look in the mirror.

He immediately wished he hadn't done so. Groaning Kai acknowledged all his visible injuries. His face was smeared with blood. Some of it had already started to dry and was slowly changing it's color from bright red to a dark brown nearly black hue. At the same time his lip, nose and eyebrow were still bleeding, pattering his face with different long and thick traces of liquid.  
His face's not bleeding areas weren't looking much better. Both cheeks and his forehead were bruised and slowly swelling, and Kai could have sworn, that his chin was already twice it's normal size. Sighing Kai decided that it would be better to close his eyes again.

At hearing his friend's sigh Tala popped his one good eye open, the other were already swollen shut, and observed his roommate's battered form. Realizing that Kai had to be okay as long as he was still able to stand, Tala leaned against the closed door.  
Nearly choking on the blood he swallowed Tala coughed two times, bringing some of the despised fluid back in his mouth.  
The red-haired boy brought a finger up to his mouth, softly tracing along his upper jaw. Tala winced as he came along two loose teeth, one of them nearly falling out.

Deciding, that he wasn't too bad off, Tala finally found the motivation to move forward into the room. Finding some towels in a sporadic shelf behind the door, he went to the sink.  
Tala pushed Kai gently a bit aside, so that he could reach the tap. He waited for the water to get warm and then held one of the towels under the spray.

Kai was aware of someone moving him to the side, but put it off to his dizziness. Only the feeling of the wet towel in his hand brought his mind back to reality.

"Wash your face.", came a grumbled command from beside him.

Kai glanced to his left. His friend was washing the blood of his own face. It didn't come off all at once, so that the red fluid smeared around even more. Kai hadn't realized how hurt Tala had been himself until now.  
He started to bring the damp towel up to his face, but stopped midway at feeling a sharp pain in his left wrist. _'So it is now injured once again.'_, Kai thought ironicly.

Out of the corner of his eye Tala noticed his friend's wince while attempting to clean his face. Slapping himself mentally he remembered Jakov stamping on Kai's newly healed left wrist.  
Tala looked in the mirror once more. Being satisfied, that the face he saw in his reflection was as clean as he could get it without rubbing on the wounds too much, he threw the towel on the floor and used another to carefully dry him off.

Kai was about rise the towel again to his face, this time with his other hand, when it was grabbed away from him. "Let me help you."

"I can clean myself.", Kai said embarrassed, moving away from Tala's approaching hand.

"No, you take this and try to bandage your wrist." Tala pushed a role of gauze in Kai's right hand and immediately started working on the smaller boy's face.  
Seeing that it would be futile to oppose Kai obeyed and concentrated on his hand.

The bathroom was silent for some time, only the sound of cloth rubbing on skin and Tala's rapid breathing could be heard. Only before he was nearly finished Tala let his concentration move away a bit and studied the younger boy with a curious look.

"Why haven't you defended yourself properly?" Tala asked while gently rubbing some dried blood from Kai's temple.

The smaller boy looked up in astonishment. "What do you mean? I told them I didn't want to fight."

Tala put the towel down. "And why should that stop them?"

Kai looked a bit lost. For him it was just common sense that you listened to what the others wanted and tried to act according to that knowledge.  
At home he always only had to say what he wanted or what not and everyone listened to that. Of course 99 percent of the time he was alone with the staff and his private tutors. On the other hand he had to admit, that when his grandfather came home he didn't dare to say anything.  
But Voltaire, like Boris, was an adult. And didn't have the right to tell adults what to do (unless they were your employees).  
But Jakov and the others were boys, just like him. They should all have the same status and work together like a team and that not only while beyblading.  
"I don't know, it should just be enough."

Tala put his hands on Kai's slender shoulders and then spoke in a quiet but firm tone to him. "Listen Kai. Don't be that naive! You tell them what you don't like and they'll do it. Never tell anyone what you don't like or what you fear, they'll only abuse their knowledge. Do you understand?"

Kai looked down, his heart suddenly felt heavy in his chest. This was one of the first lessons he learned in the abbey. He nodded. He had understood.

**_So, what do you think? It's not finished. I have two more parts planned out. I could add them or just leave it here. Like stated above I'm feeling a bit insecure about this story. Please review._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: _Visiting Day_**

Disclaimer: The characters you are familiar with, obviously don't belong to me. The story is only intended to produce fun not money.

_**Author's Notes: **Okay, since no one asked me to stop after the last chapter I continued writing this. I'm really sorry that it took me this long to update, but I can't help it, I'm still more a reader than a writer. And reading takes a lot of time, but I promise that I'll at least **try** to concentrate on writing a bit more.  
I also want to thank everyone who reviewed: CyborgRockStar, Kinaua, aries1391 und BlitzkriegGirl. You're kind words made me really happy!_  
****

2. Chapter – New Hopes on Visiting Day

Kai walked along the thick walls surrounding the abbey, letting his index finger running along the stone's pattern.

He was alone now. After they had finished dinner Boris had picked him and Tala out. Of course he had seen the visible marks of their fight earlier this evening.  
It wasn't a question with whom they had fought, the only thing that counted was that they had obviously lost. And losing was one thing not acceptable for Boris.  
And their was another fact, that left Boris irritated with his two students. Fighting normally was a misbehavior he tolerated, but this morning he had told the boys explicit how to act. And brawls were forbidden today. How should he explain the bruised up boys to their parents?  
It was only his luck, that the incident happened when the gates were already to be closed and that neither boy's parents had come to bother him with annoying questions.

Kai sighed, remembering that nonetheless Boris had felt the need to punish Tala and him. Tala had immediately been brought away for extra training, while he was spared for the day, because of his badly battered wrist.

So at the moment Kai was happy breathing fresh air instead of being inside training, though he knew that he would be in for extra work-out in the morning. But that was only another reason to enjoy this bit of free-time.

Kai had nearly finished his first round around the building now, so that the gate slowly came back into sight.  
Feeling that something wasn't right, Kai stopped and observed the gate from a safe distance.

As he realized what it was, that was different his eyes flashed in amazement. The imposing metal gate was open!  
Of course it had been open for the visiting parents in the afternoon, but after they had left it had been locked immediately. It was more of a precaution for no one to come in than for any of the children to run away, for that Boris had other methods to make sure. 'Put some fright into them and they won't run away.', was one of abbey manager's guiding principles. And to give him some credit, it had worked so far!

Kai wondered. Surely none of the guards would have forgotten to lock it, else it would mean to lose more than his job.  
So the only possibility was that the gate was indeed meant to be open, and that was only the case when someone was coming or leaving.

Curious the half-Russian boy crouched closer. Yes, he could hear voices. And after nearing some more he could even make out the silhouettes of two men and then he understood some words, which led him freeze at the spot.

"... Voltaire...should...tomorrow...earlier..."

No, that couldn't be! Kai had been so relieved, when Boris had informed him that his grandfather couldn't make it for visiting day, because of some urgent business matters, and would probably arrive sometime late the week.

It wasn't that he didn't like the stern man. How could he possibly dislike his grandfather after he had taken the boy in after the tragic loss of his parents?  
But still Kai didn't feel at ease around Voltaire. They hadn't a love-based relationship, it was more a constant fight for the boy to get some affection.

Kai knew that it surely wouldn't make his relative proud to hear that he had misbehaved with the risk to be in public, and had just been punished for fighting. So it was only natural that he feared to disappoint his supporter.

The men in front of the gate said good bye to each other, and Kai could hear the steps of one draw closer. He could just duck behind a bush when the guard stepped in, locked again behind him and disappeared in the walls of the abbey.

Tala stumbled into the small room and eased his aching body down on the bed. If he would forget this day he wouldn't be sorry.

He had just had an exhausting extra-training and on top of the injuries he had received earlier it had almost been too much for him to take.   
But what bothered him more than his hurt body was that his mother hadn't been here today.

Tala hadn't seen her or any other member of his family for nearly one year, since he had come to the abbey.  
When his mother's letter had arrived it had been the most joyful day in months. In the loneliness of the abbey a mother's loving embrace was the thing he longed for the most.

He missed his whole family more than he wanted admit. When he had left they had been living in poverty. Their living conditions had been one of the reasons why he had been send away.  
With one person less, the remaining members of Tala's family gad more to eat and his parents had one child less to worry about.

Though Tala had acted towards his parents (especially his mother) like he was excited about the offer the abbey's talent scout had made them about him learning more about beyblading at the abbey in Moscow for free, he would have preferred to stay at home. Only the thought of helping his family in the financial matters brought him to convince his mother to let him leave.  
And she could only part with her young son, because she thought it was for his best.

While knowing all that, Tala somehow still felt angry at his mother for not seeing through his act and allowing it, that he had to endure these conditions. And then again he felt guilty for thinking that way, when he knew that all that wasn't anyone's fault. No one could have known that behind all the fabulous things the scout told a place like the abbey stood.

As much as he wanted to suppress the anger it now connected with the disappointment Tala felt over his mother failed visit.

The red-haired boy shock his head. He couldn't allow himself to think that way. This wasn't like his normal self. 'The pain and exhaustion must be playing with my mind.'

Groaning in frustration he moved further up his bed until his head rested against the hard headboard. Lying still he tried not to think, just to rest. 'Perhaps I'll make more sense after I got some sleep.'

After waiting another minute Kai moved out behind his cover. Letting his shoulders sag against the wall he sighed heavily. 'Not good, not good at all! Voltaire! Shit, why does he have to come already tomorrow.'

The church bells he absently registered ringing in the background, reminded him that it would be nearly the time of their curfew. If he, on top of everything else, would now be caught outside when he was supposed to be in bed, Voltaire sure wouldn't be impressed tomorrow.

He turned around and chose the main path to make is way back into the building.

"Wait!"

Kai looked frantically around. It was a woman's voice calling out to him, but that couldn't be, women weren't allowed in the abbey. 'Too emotional', Boris had said.  
So where did that call come from?

"Please wait. I just want to ask you a question."

Kai turned his gaze towards the gate. Through the bars he could make out the silhouette of a small woman.  
The boy felt uncertain. On the one hand he should make his way in the abbey immediately, before he was found here outside, talking to a stranger. But on the other hand he was more than curious. No one came here by sheer chance. Everyone in town was put off by the rumors about this place.  
So perhaps this woman wasn't from here.

At the end his curiosity took the upper hand. After making sure again that no one else was around, he walked slowly back towards the gate.

Kai eyed the woman suspiciously. She was small, only barely taller than he was, her hair was bound tightly in her neck, what gave her a strict look and let the wrinkles on her forehead stand out even more. Kai guessed that her disheveled appearance and her poor clothes let her appear older then she really was.  
Her eyes were still young (perhaps around 35 Kai thought), and now sizing him up in return.

Again she spoke in her soft voice. "What happened to your face boy?" She reached with her right hand through the bars, touching Kai's bruised cheek softly, but drew it back quickly, when she felt him flinch at the touch.

Kai was confused. The sensation of the soft hand against his cheeks, had been weird but not bad at all. So why had he shied away from it? Was he so unused to gently touches by now, that he couldn't stand them anymore?

"It's nothing." He pressed out, but at her skeptical look, he reluctantly added: "I had a fight."

She still didn't seem satisfied, but seemed to move on to a different subject. "My son lives in there. I wanted to visit him today, but I was too late. A man just told me I wasn't allowed to come in any more and that they couldn't bring my boy out to me."

Kai thought she looked really sad. He nearly took pity in her, but what could he do for her? Yeah perhaps that was the question.

"What do you want from me?"

She was fidgeting and almost seemed desperate now. "I don't really know... Perhaps you could tell him that I'm here and that I love him, or you could him a letter of me... I ... perhaps you don't even know him..." Tears were forming in her eyes as her voice died down.

Kai was shocked at her sudden breakdown. The boy was unsure of what to do, he didn't know how to deal with downcast adults.

"Please madam, I have to leave now, and you should too. I'll inform your son that you're here, but you need to tell me who he is, so that I can find him."

She tried to get a hold of herself. "I'm sorry, if I get you into trouble by keeping you out here…"

"No, no, no!", he interrupted her. Kai was starting to get nervous, he really needed to get to his room now. "Just tell me his name now and I promise I'll find him."

"Okay, please give him this." She took a chain of her neck, which until now had been hidden under her dirty scarf, and pushed through the bars, where Kai accepted it with his good hand. "My son's name is Tala, he's around your age, perhaps he's a bit older. He needs to know that I've been here. Please tell him I love him."

Kai nearly let the chain slid out of his grip, when he heard his roommate's name. This couldn't be a mistake, there was only one boy named Tala in the abbey. But still, this woman didn't resemble her supposed son one bit.  
Tala was tall and could easily be mistaken to be two years older, his hair was fiery red and his eyes intimidated even some adults. All in all his appearance was just unmistakable and the petite woman in front of him was the total contrary.

"You are Tala's mother?", Kai asked, the disbelieving evident in his voice.

"Yes I am." The shocked expression in the small boy's eyes worries her. "What's wrong? He is in there, isn't he?"

"Yes he is in here, he is my roommate actually." Kai's thoughts went to Tala, who was just being punished after he had already felt so down the whole day. Knowing he couldn't tell the woman that her son had been disappointed, because he thought she wouldn't come, then had been beaten up by some older boys and nearly immediately after that been send to extra-training, Kai suddenly had an idea. Perhaps he still could make this a good visiting day for mother and son.

"Mrs. Valkov please listen. If you go along the wall to the other side of the abbey, you'll come to a small shed. The door is locked, but if you push hard against one window, it'll open. Climb in, shut the window behind you and wait. I'll bring Tala to you in a few hours."

The woman looked flabbergasted at the unexpected excitement the until now shy seeming boy showed. Did he just propose, that he and her son broke out? As a mother she naturally couldn't allow her son to get into trouble.

"No boy wait! You can't just break out..."

"It wouldn't be like breaking out!" Kai tried to eliminate her doubts. "We would just be away for an hour or so and return immediately. Don't worry, no one will notice, but I **really** need to leave now. And you should too, before anyone notices you still lingering around. Just go where I told you to and wait!"

With that he turned around and sprinted to the abbey doors, through which he disappeared into the building, leaving the totally perplexed woman behind.

Tala crawled down of the mattress as slow as possible, careful to avoid the pain any fast movement caused him. The painkillers, he had made Kai and himself swallow a few hours ago, were wearing of. And Tala could already feel the headache build up behind his temples.

He knew, he should get ready for bed, before a guard decided to control their room early, but something was wrong. Looking around Tala registered that he was alone. And that indeed was very wrong!

Kai should be here by now, moreover he shouldn't have left in the first place. Boris had been angry enough as he was. His smaller roommate had only barely been resigned for punishment today, and been send away immediately.

'Away' meant for Boris, to go to your room, or at least some other place were he wouldn't see you again for the day.

The problem was, that Tala suddenly wasn't so sure, if this perhaps could be a fact, that he had forgotten to tell the younger boy.

Tala groaned. This day couldn't get any worse! Of course the guards would make him responsible, if they found out about Kai's abstinence.

Deciding that this negative thinking wasn't going to get him anywhere, Tala slowly changed into his nightclothes and carefully laid back down on his bed. He observed the alarm clock. Three minutes left until curfew, perhaps Kai still was going to make it on time.

In the last months Tala had had to realize that the boy wasn't as stupid and helpless as he had originally thought.  
When it had been announced that Voltaire's grandson would come to be a new inhabitant in the abbey, everyone was sure, that the boy had only made it here through the connection with his relative, and hadn't been scouted like the others, who all were here because of their talent as they thought.  
This realization had left the boys angry and jealous. The majority didn't like it here, but still they were proud of their skill. So it had come, that they had felt contempt for the new boy, before he had even arrived.

Tala on the other hand had it long time ago made his job to not feel anything for the other boys. Early he had realized that he was alone in here. He was here only for himself and his family. So why should the other boys matter?

So when the new boy came it didn't mean anything to him, only the fact, that he was assigned to his room was slightly annoying.  
But after the first few days it had been evident that everybody had been wrong with their assumptions. Everyone had to admit that Kai was quiet a remarkable blader, and Tala had soon learned to like the kid.  
The boy was smart and more bearable to be around than most persons Tala had ever met.

So if Tala hadn't misjudged Kai that months back, he should be able to still make it before curfew.

Kai had to sprint the entire way through the corridors to make it on time, and still when he reached the door to his room he wasn't sure, if he had succeed.

He was breathing hard when he pushed the door open. Though he was anxious to yell the news out at Tala he first needed to calm down. The sight of his friends angry glare helped him to do so immediately.

"What's up? I'm not too late, am I?"

Tala didn't answer at first. Instead he pulled Kai fully into the room and closed the door. He seized his young friend up. "Where have you been?"

Kai was confused, he wasn't sure what he did wrong. Tala's hard glare made him nervous. "I was just outside. Why? What's wrong?"

"You're just lucky that no one saw you. If Boris is angry with you, then hide in your room and don't run around in the abbey. Remember that!" Tala spat out.

The smaller boy nodded. He knew he needed to be extremely cautious here. All this rules were sometimes difficult to follow and life here was just so damn hard!  
Kai couldn't dwell on his problems long, because Tala moved him again towards his bed.

"No time to brush your teeth. Just change and lie down. They'll control every minute now, hurry up!"

Kai did as he was told. When both boys were placed in their beds, Tala switched off the light. For a while the room was quiet.

"Tala don't sleep!"

The redhead, who had just dosed off, after a totally exhausting day, groaned in response. "What do you want Kai?"

The half-Japanese boy whispered, his voice so low, that Tala had to strain his ears to understand him. "After the guard leaves, we have to get out to meet your mother."

Tala shot up immediately. He turned the light back on and was across the room in the blink of an eye. "What is with my mother?" He demanded, nearly shouting, because of his excitement.

Kai clapped his hand over his friend's mouth. "Be quiet, will you! Or we can forget meeting her at once." When he didn't feel Tala resist any, he removed his hand again. "I met her at the gate. She was too late and wasn't allowed to come in anymore. So she asked me to tell you, that she has been here and that she loves you. Tala?"

He stopped his tale, noticing Tala's sad and absolutely devastated look. But the boy at question urged him to continue. "Anything else?"

Kai nodded. "She gave me this." He rummaged through the pockets of the jacket he had on him earlier, until he found the golden chain with the little medallion. Tala took it eagerly. He inspected it some seconds as is he wasn't believing that this could really be his mother's, but then brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.

"I told her to wait for us in the shed behind the abbey. She should be there by now. You're gonna see her!" Kai tried to sheer his roommate up.

But Tala didn't seem too impressed. "She's alone out there! You've send my mother through this part of the town alone by night? How do you think, we're getting out of here? She'll be waiting there and we won't come!"

Kai was immediately at his defenses. "Oh come on! She came here all on her own from who knows where, so she should be able to make the few hundred meters to the shed. And when she's in there no one will find her. And what that we won't make it out of here? Didn't you tell me, that you escaped once and were only found the second day? All we need are a few hours. We'll make it!"

Tala wanted to voice his concerns, but had to sprint back to his bed, when the footsteps on the corridor grew regularly louder. Just as the Light inside the room was switched off once again the door opened.

"You're complete?" A gruff, uninterested voice sounded from the doorway.

"We're both here. Now leave us alone, we want to sleep." Snarled Tala back.

"You better shut up boy, or you won't sleep at all tonight!" The guard tried to glare through the darkness. When he got no response besides a soft snort, he was satisfied and turned to the other bed. "Hiwatari, you're here too?"

"Were else should I be?" Kai asked, his voice sounding extremely innocent.

"Nosy brats!" Muttered the guard, while leaving the room, obviously fed up with his job and the kid's arrogance.

When no noises on the corridor could be heard anymore, Tala turned the light on again. Kai needed a moment to let his eyes adjust to the sudden light. He blinked in surprise, when he found his friend fumbling with his boots.

"So we're going?" He asked softly, not wanting another confrontation.

"We're going!"

Kai looked down. This was too high! They weren't going to make it!

The two friends had been able to sneak out of their room and down their corridor, their they had faced the first problem when they nearly ran into the patrol guarding their wing of the abbey. They had barely been able to hide in an adjacent room.  
But right after they had deeply breathed as a sign of relief, the two boys had to realize, that they had stumbled into a guards quarter. Through an open door Tala and Kai were able to look into an adjoining room where another guard sat in front of a laptop. Luckily for them he had been so engaged in the pornographic material he was studying with sick interest, that he didn't hear the kids running through his kitchen.

After all those shocking experiences the two had finally found a window facing the backyard. Just what they had been looking for, because the couldn't leave through the front gate, were two guards stood the whole night, and they were too afraid to sneak through the back door downstairs, because that would mean to pass right through the corridor on which Boris' quarters lay.

So now they stood in front of the window looking down, and Kai not for the first time asked himself if the trouble was really worth it.

"So how are we getting down there?"

Tala looked at him a small smile on his lips. "Why, jump of course!" And before Kai could hold him back or respond in any way, he had to stare wide eyed as his roommate jumped out of the window. Kai leaned forward immediately, trying to make out the body of his friend on the ground, but he couldn't look that far down through the darkness. To be honest he couldn't really look much farther than one or two meters.

He wanted to yell Tala's name, hearing that his friend was okay, but knew he couldn't. So with no possibility left, Kai climbed shakily up on the windowsill and jumped after the older boy.

Kai braced himself for a long fall and was totally caught off guard as he landed much earlier than expected on a hard stony ground. The force of the impact was heavy nonetheless and Kai thought he felt his legs being rammed up in his stomach by it.

When he had finally overcome the explosive adrenalin rush his jump caused, Kai realized, that he wasn't in the garden as expected, but stood on a balcony he hadn't known existed. Next to him stood Tala, a broad grin on his face.

"There you are finally! Only once more and we'll be down." Tala whispered.

Kai suddenly felt the urge to hit him. Of course Tala had known of the balcony after all he had been longer in the abbey than Kai. But surely he hadn't felt the need to tell him! No, Tala let him think that he would jump in his death!

"Not funny!" Muttered Kai, but this time jumped simultaneously with Tala of the balcony rail.

On the ground both boys sprinted in the cover of the dark shadows of the outer wall surrounding the building. There they stood catching their breaths for a minute, before urging their exhausted bodies to further work by climbing over the wall.

Only when they had reached the other side, they allowed themselves to relax.

Tala leaned against the stony surface, while studying his friend. "Kai, you need to promise me something."

Kai glanced sidewards, interest evident in his eyes. "What?"

The read-heads voice was thin in the brisk night air. "When we meet with my mother, then please don't tell her about what goes on in the abbey. Just help me to convince her that we are fine."

Kai looked skeptical. "Why should I do that? Doesn't she know? She was the one who send you there after all, wasn't she?"

"Yes she was, but that's the point. She'd feel guilty, if she knew how we are treated in here. And I don't want that. She loves me and to know that I feel bad and she can't help me will break her heart. Do you understand that Kai?" At the other boy's nod he continued. "Then please promise me Kai."

"I promise." The words were said with an undertone that Tala wasn't able to interpret, so he just nodded in acceptance and started to walk forward to their destination. Kai trailed behind him, deep in thought.  
He envied Tala and the others all seemed to have someone on the outside to love and to trust, and who was willing to help them. Everybody beside himself, he just had Voltaire and the old man surely didn't feel guilty about anything that happened to his grandson in the abbey.

He was alone, that was just another hard lesson he learned in the abbey.

**_Tbc in the final part three._**

AN: Thank you for reading! So what do you all think? Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: _Visiting Day_**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade. I don't make any money from this.

_**Author's Notes:** Finally the last part. I want to thank everyone, who took the time to review. It's been a pleasure to write for you! And of course I thank everyone, who just read along as well. I hope you all enjoy the last chapter._  
_So this chapter is dedicated to you: **Aries1391, Kawaii Yuki, CyborgRockStar **(I'm happy they seemed in character for you, cause that was one of my big questions: what have they been like when they were younger?)**, Kinaua **(you're lucky, here's more of Tala's mother and you got creepy Voltaire too!)_

**3. Chapter – The End of Visiting Day**

At the knock on the door Boris looked up from the new report he had gotten from his scientists this morning at had now already been studying for quiet some time with interest.

"Come in!" He made sure that it didn't sound like admission to the request but like an order.

In came a guard. Obviously nervous, Boris realized with revulsion. Just like when one of the boys was standing in front of him, knowing he would receive punishment.  
This thought caught his interest. Hopefully there wasn't another problem he needed to take care of this evening. His mood turned grim, somehow there seemed to always be problems.

"Anything to report?"

The guard fidgeted a bit more, as if he knew about his masters temper. "Yes I have sir. I forgot to inform you about something." There he stopped, waiting for an angry remark about his stupidity, but none came, instead he received a nod to go on.  
"There has been a messenger earlier this evening. He was send by Mister Voltaire."

Voltaire! The old man made always complications. This was the fourth messenger this month now. Every single one of them reporting a new date of Voltaire's arrival. At first the abbey's owner had planned to make it for visiting day, then he send note that he wouldn't make it for two more weeks, three days ago had then come the message that he would come the day after visiting day. That would have been tomorrow, so what new changes had come now?

When Boris still didn't answer to that, the guard reluctantly continued his report, knowing that even when Boris had somehow managed it to stay quiet, now would come the part where he wouldn't being able to hold onto himself anymore.  
"The messenger informed me, that Voltaire won't come tomorrow as planned, but will arrive earlier. Sometime this night, probably every minute now."

As expected lilac haired man made no attempt at hiding his anger any longer. He literally jumped from his seat. The sudden movement caused several files to fall of the desk. That only seemed to make Boris even more angry. He furiously stamped on the fallen papers, shouting at the guard while doing so.

"You useless fool!" The guard winced slightly at the harsh voice. "We would have at least needed about two hours to prepare everything! You're lucky that I don't have any time now to decide your punishment. Leave now, get everything arranged!"

The guard sighed and hastily turned around to leave the room. "Wait!" The burly man tensed immediately. "Wake Kai up and bring him here. I want to talk to him, before Voltaire sees him."

The guard nodded and fled from the room.

Tala brushed away the tears from his mother's cheeks. "It's alright mom, I'm fine."

"No you aren't." The small woman shook her head vehemently, while looking shocked at her son's bruises. "You can't even open that eye."

Tala had to mentally admit that she was right. He really didn't feel so good. Everything hurt, his vision was blurred and he was more than exhausted by now. But of course he wouldn't tell that his mother, it was just nice to know, that she cared so much she even cried.

He gently kissed her forehead. "I just got into a fight. You know how boys are." He winked at her.

She turned her head to Kai. "The same fight he was in?"

Kai had stood silently in front of the window until now. He had found it quiet interesting to observe the reunion of mother and son.  
The hugs, the kisses, the soft words, the eagerness with which Tala had ask about the rest of his family, all this was an unusual sight for Kai and that was not only like this since he lived in the abbey.  
Mrs. Valkov's pointed glance caught his attention and Tala's embarrassed look encouraged him to help his friend.

"Actually we two had a fight."

Tala stared open-mouthed at the younger boy. That was probably one of the most stupid things he had ever heard from Kai. Did he really believe that his mother would buy that her son would let himself be beaten up by a small kid?

"You did this?" The woman gaped at Kai, indicating to Tala's injuries. Kai suddenly realized that perhaps his explanation hadn't been such a smart move.  
He blushed slightly, stuttering around a bit. "Yeah... well, he bruises really easily." The half-Japanese boy blushed even more, really wanting to slap himself right now.

"Mom please don't listen to him! Kai just likes to show-off."

The woman's face turned stern now. "Then why don't you tell me what really happened?"

Tala fidgeted a bit. He was used to the Boris' demanding commands, but his mother's look got somehow even more under his skin. "It wasn't just we two fighting. Actually we got beat up by some of the older boys."  
He stared nervously at the dirt on his shoes, unsure of what was to come now.

Kai nearly chocked. This situation confused him. Hadn't Tala made him promise not to tell anything bad about the abbey? And from his point of view Jakov and his goons were something very bad.

Tala looked up, when he felt his mother's hands stroking his hair back. He searched her face with his eyes, not sure about what he might find there.  
What he saw made him visibly relax. His mother's eyes only spoke of concern and compassion for her son.  
"Have you told one of the teachers about what happened?"

"Boris knows, he's the boss of the abbey. He took care of everything. Don't worry."  
Tala felt ashamed. He hadn't been flat-out lying. Boris had taken care of everything, probably not as his mother expected, but still he hadn't lied. So why did he feel bad about it?

Mrs. Valkov didn't speak for some time, then she nodded and relaxed back against the thin wooden wall of the shed.  
"So you got better in beyblading?", she asked and the conversation immediately turned back to lighter topics.

Kai sat down a bit apart from mother and son, so he wouldn't interrupt this private moment anyhow. He found a wooden box in front of the window through which they had come, and sat down on it.  
The black-haired head leaned against the wall and crimson eyes fell shut shortly afterwards.  
Kai was reminded of how tired he was, when he realized the soft Russian conversation becoming more and more distant, until sleep finally caught him completely.

**xxxxxxx**

Boris was furious. Voltaire had arrived even earlier than expected. The guard hadn't even returned with Kai yet, and he hadn't found the time for a shower and to change his clothes. 

Now the imposing old man stood in front of him. The arrogant look on Voltaire's face made Boris even more angry. If he wouldn't need the old man's money, he would have kicked the insolent pensioner out already.

But as it was, he greeted the man, who held the most power over him, with a small bow and an unnatural smile on his face.  
"Voltaire, what an honor. We were already expecting you."

The man at question didn't even reply, but looked sceptically around the room, obviously turning up his nose at every single corn of dust he could find.  
Boris had to ball his fists in order to hold himself away from shouting out loud. In the middle of his furiousness Voltaire finally decided to acknowledge him.  
"Is my room ready?"

"It should be. I send someone to prepare everything for you." He really hated the submissiveness in his own voice.

"I wish to see my grandson before I depart for my quarters."  
Voltaire wandered through the overloaded office until he stood on the other side of the desk, where he let his eyes glide over the still open files.  
The figures and words he caught glimpses of were promising, and his mood lightened in consequence. So he didn't even made a comment when Boris bluntly closed the files in front of him and hindered a closer look.

"The boy should be brought here soon. I already arranged so."

The two man stood face to face opposite each other, saying nothing more. Luckily a curt knock on the door broke the silence.  
After he answered it, Boris watched the door being opened and the guard he had send away earlier coming in. His employer's obvious nervousness disturbed Boris. The man looked even more frightened than before when he had confessed that he had missed to deliver the message of Voltaire's coming. But what could possibly be worse?  
Just at that moment he realized, that Kai hadn't come along as ordered.  
"What are you doing here alone? Where is the boy? Didn't I order you to bring him here?"

"Yes Sir, you did order to bring him here." Stuttered the guard, who was now not only the center of Boris' attention but Voltaire's as well.

"So where is he then?" Demanded the lilac haired man impatiently.

At first it didn't seem like the totally devastated guard was about to answer, but then suddenly he started to babble like a small child confessing his parents that he had thrown a ball through a window.  
"I didn't know. And it's absolutely not my fault. I mean I am sorry, but I am not responsible for the corridors in that sector. So it's not my fault, when something happens there. And it happened before I came there, so it wasn't me, who didn't take care. When I arrived in the room, they were already gone. I was the one, who told the others. It's not always the messenger that is responsible for the bad news he brings! I..."

Voltaire stopped the flood of words with just a raising of his hand. "Shut up! Boris! Did I hear the man just say 'they were already gone'? Is one of 'they' possibly my grandson? Tell me Boris, has Kai run away?"

Boris was so angry he couldn't even answer the accusation or he would have chocked on his words. Instead he pushed the helpless guard out of the door and into the main corridor in front of his room. "Show me! I want to see for myself."

The guard stumbled through the abbey, followed by a highly angry Voltaire and an unnerving quiet Boris, who hadn't said a word after the had left his office and just concentrating on non-too-gently pushing him every few steps.  
In front of Tala's and Kai's room stood some more guards nervously whispering between them, but they too fell silent when the saw the three men approach, of which they feared two more than anything else.

Boris immediately grabbed for the door handle, but was hindered by an impressive tall guard. "Sir wait. We've locked the door."  
The abbey's manager didn't respond, but Voltaire snorted from behind. "What good is it now. The trick is to lock the door before the boys escape."

When the door was opened, both Voltaire and Boris walked in. Inside Boris moved in a circle, not only observed closely by his employers but by the old man as well.

"So they are really gone." The voice was quiet and tense, and send shivers down the guard's backs. Voltaire on the other hand watched with sick interest.  
"They really escaped. You fools let two kids escape of whom I told you they were high-security! And now all you do is standing in front of an empty, locked room, doing nothing but talk."   
There was a pause in which none of the guards dared to look up. "Start to think, start to finally use your brain, prove to me that there is a reason that I employed you! Why the hell aren't you out there searching for them? If I were you, I would run out immediately and hope to find Tala and Kai or it will get really uncomfortable for you."  
He again made a small pause, and again nobody moved, that changed quickly when he started from new. "Why are you still here, haven't you listened to what I said? Leave!"

When it again was only the two of them. Voltaire decided that is was time to show once more that he was the higher-ranking.  
"So tell me Boris is it coincidence that just at the day on which I decide to visit, two boys, of which one happens to be my grandson, run away?"

"I know that you might not believe it, but this never happened before. Worry not sir, we'll find them in the next hours. When you wake up tomorrow, the boys will be back and regretting they ever tried to leave at all."

Voltaire knew when he was being dismissed, and he hated it, but at the same time it somehow amused him. "So it was coincidence indeed.", he smiled. "If I depart for bed now, then promise me that you won't harm the boys in any way if you find them tonight. I want it to be my privilege to judge over them in the morning."  
He started to walk out of the room, not waiting for Boris to actually promise for it was more of an order than a request anyway.  
"Oh and Boris, make sure they don't escape again." He gave a small chuckle, that still echoed in the corridor after the man himself was already out of sight.

Boris was left behind balling his fists in anger.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Tala crouched nearer to Kai, his mother stood behind him, smiling affectionately at the picture of the small, sleeping boy.

"Kai, hey Kai wake up. It's time to go back." The black-haired boy slowly opened his eyes at the shake of his shoulder, and is was even longer until he seemed to realize where he was and what was happening.

"Are we going back?" He asked, still a little dazed.

"I just said so." Tala wanted to add a comment about Kai not only being stupid but deaf too, but a stern look from his mother helped him to hold his tongue. "Get up, we can't climb through the window with you sitting in front of it."

All three climbed out without any trouble. Kai enjoyed the fresh night air outside, and stood a little apart when mother and son said goodbye to each other.  
Jealousy grabbed his heart again at the sight of pure love between two people.

Mrs. Valkov kissed her son on the head one last time. "I promise we'll see us again. Just keep your faith and behave. Don't annoy Kai too much. It doesn't seem like he has enough siblings, who showed him how prevail against others." She turned to Kai and smiled. "Or how to lie."

Kai felt heat rising up into his cheeks at the reference to his earlier actions. It was true, he really couldn't lie. But he couldn't dwell on his thoughts for long, because a heartily laugh and a wide smirk from his two companions made him smile too.  
Mrs. Valkov laid a hand gently on his left shoulder. "I hope, I'll see you again too."

"I'd really like that."

"Good, than that's settled you two. My train is coming in forty minutes. If I want to catch it, I need to go now."

Tala nodded bravely, hardly betraying any emotions, but Kai thought he saw his friend's shoulders shake softly.

"Bye."

Both boys watched the kind woman leave with regret. They stood next to each other even after Tala's mother was out of sight.  
Finally nodding to each other the turned around to make their way back to the abbey, though they were totally unmotivated to do so.

**xxxxxxxxx**

The door opened and two boys were roughly pushed inside. Tala stumbled and fell to the floor, groaning as his already bruised body hit the floor.

"We caught them just outside. They tried to climb back in over one of the balconies."

Boris leaned pleased back in his chair. "Good. You can leave now, wait outside the door, this won't take long."

The guards left, leaving Boris, Kai and Tala alone in the office. Both boys were now standing once again, though Tala discreetly favored his right leg for his left knee hurt where it had hit the floor only moments ago. The kids were breathing hard, and Boris was enjoying their anxiousness.

"I knew you two would try to run away someday, but I hadn't expected it happen quiet so early. I hadn't expected to make it so easy for us to catch you again either. To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed of you two. I thought you had learned better in here." The words were taunting, and Tala had to bit his lip to keep himself from shouting something he surely would regret.

"We weren't running away. We just climbed back in, when they caught us." Kai's words were true, but childlike and innocent. Not of the right kind to make an impression on Boris.

"Oh really? You know what I think?" The man taunted further. "I think you two are cowards. You ran away, but got frightened and came back. There is only one thing that I hate more than disobeying little boys and that are cowardly little boys!" Boris had raised his voice at the end, and Kai had flinched at the hatred that was directed at him.

"We are here now, aren't we? It would have been more cowardly to run away when we had the chance, wouldn't it?" Tala got more and more angry the longer he talked. "And anyway Boris, you don't know us one bit. We are not here, because of your force or power. We aren't afraid of you!"

"So why are you here?" Boris voice was deadly calm.

Tala realized that his temperament had perhaps gotten them in even more trouble. But now there was no going back. "The money Boris. And you know it, it was the money. You were there, you've seen the conditions in which I lived, and you knew that you'd only get me here if you promised money. And you know what? You were right! But now don't act like we are here for anything else, cause we both know that that's not true."

Kai was impressed. He had seen many new sides of his friend today, and to talk this much was a highly uncharacteristic side of him. Boris on the other hand, saw for perhaps the first time the need for something to be done. When the children stood with less fright in front of him than the guards, then something was terribly wrong.  
He needed new staff and he needed to put more fright into the boys.

"You two think you're so clever. You think you're so good beybladers, that you're irreplaceable. Now let **me** tell you something, you are not! I could find others just as good as you each day. You are replaceable and if you not start to act differently, you'll feel it first hand. So if I were you, then I promptly start to behave."

Kai wasn't sure if he had understood it right. Was Boris threatening to kill them? He looked over to Tala, who had suddenly become deadly-pale. Yes, it seemed like he had indeed understood right.  
Boris came out from behind his desk and circled the two boys like a lion did with it's prey.

"But you got lucky again. I won't punish you right now, cause Voltaire doesn't want you harmed, when he decides what will happen with you in the morning."  
He gave an amused chuckle, when he saw Kai flinch at the mention of his grandfathers name. He sneered the next words directly in the small boy's face.  
"Isn't it always touching, when a grandfather comes to visit his grandson. Oh, don't worry. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again. Perhaps he'll even forget about your punishment." Boris made sure that the sarcasm was visible in his voice.

He walked two steps to his right, so that he stood in front of Tala now. "And if he'll be too lenient with you two, I'll be sure to correct that mistake after he left. For now I wish you a good night."

The door opened and three guards walked back. "Bring them downstairs and make that they stay there."

The abbey's manager sat back in his chair and observed the two most problematic boys he had to care for being let out.

**xxxxxxxx**

Tala and Kai were more pushed than let down the stairs. They both scraped their knuckles on the stone wall by desperate attempts to hold themselves on their feet.  
Kai let out a sigh of relief, when they finally reached the bottom in one piece. With angry guards there were no joking around and these guards were very angry, for had they searched for the two run-aways the last few hours, they normally spent with sleep.

'Yeah, angry, tired guards!' Kai thought, when his head connected with the wall after an unexpected push from behind.

"Get moving. You two made enough trouble for a night."

The boys obeyed since they were tired, frightened and hurt too, and wanted nothing more than to be alone so they could get some hours to collect themselves.

Shortly afterwards Tala found himself in a claustrophobic small cellar room. It obviously hadn't been used for some time. There stood boxes all over. Everything was covered in dust and spiderwebs. There was no window. So when the door closed behind them, all they could see was black.

Tala hated the dark. Through the slit under the door he could make out some light, and he tried to sit down as near to this as possible. He waited for Kai to sit down next to him. Surely the younger needed to be just as exhausted as he was, but still there was no movement and no one was on the ground beside him.  
"Kai? What's up. Lie down, now you can sleep some."

"You don't think they are gonna let us out soon?" The younger boy sounded nearly desperate. Tala realized that he must dislike their sleeping arrangements just as much as he did.

"No, you heard what Boris said. Voltaire will come in the morning." When there was still no reaction, that told him that Kai was going to lie down, he tried a different technique. "Look if you lie down here, you can see the light coming through under the door." There was a body on the ground next to him immediately.

Kai lay on his side, so that he could face the door. He couldn't decide what to do, sleep was nearly impossible to fight now, but at the same time the bruises on his ribs protested to lie like this. It was all more than frustrating.  
"This must have been the most terrible day, I can remember. First I run the whole morning through the abbey searching for you, then we get beaten up and punished for it, after that we climb over balconies in the middle of the night, get caught and locked up, and of course on top of all that Voltaire is here!"

"It's not all so bad. We met my mother today."

"And she will surely rescue us tomorrow morning, when Voltaire is up on us." Both boys were taken aback by the sarcasm in Kai's words, because he normally spoke innocently straight-forward.

Tala wondered if this was the moment his friend began to change. All boys in the abbey started to change, to grow cold, sooner or later here. But somehow Tala hoped, that Kai would stay like he was a little longer, for his naivety had always had a soothing effect on him.  
"I want to thank you for everything you did today, you know helping me meet mom and all."

Tala was very disappointed, when he got no answer. It wasn't every day that he thanked someone and this was important to him. He at least wanted an acknowledgment.  
Kai felt his hand being grasped, and tried to pull away out of reflex, but found it impossible, when Tala held onto it only stronger.  
"Kai listen to me. I don't know what they will do with us, but no matter what will happen, I want you to know, that I think it was worth it. I'm sorry that you are together with me in this mess, but still thank you."

Kai felt the need in his friend's words to get an answer, so he put his other hand on top of Tala's and spoke in his normal soft voice to him. "It's okay. You know, your mother is really nice?"

Even though they sat locked up in a dark, cold cellar, both boys smiled softly. Somehow their friendship seemed natural to them, and everything was okay. They had survived visiting day, and together they could survive what lay ahead of them in the morning.

**The End!**

July 2005 by Lichtblick

_Okay, that was it! So what do you think? Any final comments? I hope you all enjoyed this and that I'll see you again, when I post my next fic. Until then, goodbye._


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